QUAFF named Homebrew Club of the Year

Yesterday marked the start of the three-day free-for-all that is the Great American Beer Festival. Held annually at Denver’s Colorado Convention Center, it draws droves of ale-and-lager fans looking to down as many one-ounce suds samples as possible during one or several of the event’s three sessions. It also includes a professional-brewing competition and, as of this year, the largest homebrewing contest in the country, the National Homebrew Competition (NHC).

Coordinated by the American Homebrewers Association, the recreational outreach arm of U.S. beer-industry trade organization, the Brewers Association, the NHC previously took place as part of Homebrew Con, a stand-alone annual convention that was held in different cities each year. This year, the NHC was folded into the GABF festivities, with winners announced last night.

San Diego homebrewers, particularly those associated with local homebrew club QUAFF (Quality Ale and Fermentation Fraternity), have earned numerous NHC awards over the years. That said, it’s been some time since QUAFF brought home the prestigious Homebrew Club of the Year Award, hardware it laid claim to nine times between 2001 and 2018. Now, that coveted award is coming back to America’s Finest City, thanks to a stellar 12-medal performance by QUAFF’s members, which earned them Homebrew Club of the Year for 2024.

Local homebrewers (one of which was not affiliated with QUAFF) brought home three gold medals, three silver medals and seven bronze medals. And while there were plenty of winning beers, the amateurs’ performance across other beverages is what paved the club’s road to supremacy. QUAFF members won eight medals in mead, melomel and braggot categories, with Benjamin Frymark nearly sweeping the latter category with a gold and a bronze. He also took a silver in the Dry Mead category. QUAFF’s Ryan Fowler also earned multiple medals with bronzes in the Sweet Mead and Melomel categories.

The local gold-medal entries were a Kölsch from Tim Wang (a three-time NHC medal-winner that took the top spot for the first time) and a spiced beer from Timothy Rozmus, who worked with co-brewers Matt Buggert and Doug Brown. Independent Thomas Atkinson took bronze in the second most-entered category, Strong Belgian Ale. Veterans of San Diego Beer News’ Homebrew Summer pro-am initiative – Kevin Holt and son Brandon Holt (silver in Irish & British Stout), Fowler and John Bell (bronze, Pale Malty European Beer) – also made it to the medal stand.

The following is a full list of local winners from the 2024 NHC…

Homebrew Club of the Year Award: QUAFF (San Diego)

GOLD MEDALS

Pale European Beer: Tim Wang, QUAFF (Carlsbad)
Specialty & Seasonal Spiced Beer: Timothy Rozmus, Matt Buggert & Doug Brown, QUAFF (San Diego)
Braggot: Benjamin Frymark, Jenny Chua-Tuan & Doug Brown, QUAFF (San Diego)

SILVER MEDALS

Irish & British Stout: Kevin & Brandon Holt, QUAFF (San Diego)
Dry Mead: Benjamin Frymark, QUAFF (San Diego)
Spice, Herb or Vegetable Mead: Melissa Greenfield, QUAFF (Mira Mesa)

BRONZE MEDALS

Pale Malty European Beer: John Bell, QUAFF (Poway)
Strong Belgian Ale:: Thomas Atkinson (Poway)
Sweet Mead: Ryan Fowler, QUAFF (San Diego)
Melomel: Ryan Fowler, QUAFF (San Diego)
Berry Mead: Ernest Hedberg & Jeff Case, QUAFF (San Diego)
Stone Fruit Mead: Jeff Case, QUAFF (San Diego)
Braggot: Benjamin Frymark, Jenny Chua-Tuan & Doug Brown, QUAFF (San Diego)